Wildfire and What it Means to You

Wildfires are always a concern in Colorado due to the extreme weather, and it has been acknowledged that wildfire season is now year-round in the state. The Broomfield Police Department and the CCOB Office of Emergency Management collaborate with multiple agencies and the public to ensure the wildland fire management programs are fully integrated. They work with partners and cooperating organizations, incorporating fire management aspects such as planning, preparedness, suppression, restoration, monitoring, research and education.

For the most up-to-date and accurate information about what's happening in Broomfield, the first stop is the Broomfield.org website. During a large-scale emergency or urgent, active situation, residents can find the most up-to-date and accurate information on the Broomfield.org/EmergencyStatus web page. This page will show all information during an event as it is available.

To ensure the safety of yourself, your loved ones, and your community, take the following steps now to prepare for wildfires.

Be Aware of and Sign Up for Notifications

Sign Up for Emergency Notifications

Subscribe to and provide your preferred information to LookoutAlert, the system through which emergency notifications are sent out to warn Broomfield residents of potential hazards and threats, including during an evacuation. Additionally, first responders may be utilized to notify you if there is an immediate threat to your neighborhood. If you feel unsafe, though, don't wait for a notification. Take action and evacuate to keep you and your family safe.

If you live on the border of a neighboring county, you may also want to consider signing up for that county’s emergency notification system.

Jefferson County: Jefferson County also uses LookoutAlert, so if you’re signed up for LookoutAlert for Broomfield, you’re already in that system. If you work or visit a different area of Jefferson County on a regular basis, you can go into your profile and add an address to ensure that you see notifications from that area of Jefferson county.
Boulder County: Boulder County uses Everbridge (otherwise known as BOCO Alert) as its emergency notification system. To sign up, visit bocoalert.org.
Adams County: Adams County uses the CodeRed emergency notification system. To sign up, visit Adams County’s notifications website.
Weld County: Weld County uses the CodeRed emergency notification system. To sign up, visit Weld County’s notifications website.

Know about Current Fire Restrictions and Bans

The North Metro Fire Rescue District, in conjunction with the City and County of Broomfield Chief of Police, may enact fire restrictions and bans for portions of the City and County of Broomfield. Detailed information can be found on the North Metro Outdoor Burning and Fire Restrictions web page. Visit that page to see any active fire or burning restrictions, what is allowed and not allowed, the latest weather alerts from the National Weather Service and more.

Be Aware of Red Flag Warnings

The National Weather Service issues red flag warnings when warm temperatures, very low humidity, and stronger winds combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger. These warnings can be found on the National Weather Service website and will be taken into account for enacting fire restrictions or bans in our area. You can also select to receive weather alerts, like red flag warnings, in the settings of LookoutAlert.

Broomfield.org Website

During a large-scale emergency or urgent, active situation that may impact the community, residents can find the most up-to-date and accurate information on the Broomfield.org/EmergencyStatus web page. This page will show all information during an event as it is available. As information and circumstances in these types of events can shift quickly, make sure to look at the time stamp within the posts to be sure you’re looking at the latest information.
For updates on emergency and critical information in Broomfield, check the Alert Center. This information will be displayed as a banner at the top of every page on Broomfield.org as soon as it is posted. It will also show in the Fire Alerts and Restrictions section closer to the top of this page. Residents can subscribe to receive push notifications of these messages via text, email or both. To do so:
- Go to the "NotifyMe" section of Broomfield.org
- Utilize the "Notify Me Sign In" button to sign in or create a profile
- Scroll down to the “Alert Center” section and look for “Fire Alerts and Restrictions”
- Select your preference of email (envelope icon) or text (phone icon) notifications and follow system prompts to complete sign up.

Social Media

If you are active on social media accounts, there are several official information sources you can follow:

X (Twitter) for CCOB: x.com/broomfield
X (Twitter) for Broomfield PD: x.com/BroomfieldPD
X (Twitter) for North Metro Fire: https://x.com/nmfirepio
Facebook for CCOB: Facebook.com/Broomfield
Facebook for Broomfield PD: Facebook.com/BroomfieldPD
Facebook for North Metro Fire: Facebook.com/NorthMetroFire

If you are seeing information on these or other social media or other platforms, verify it against the official information that the City and County of Broomfield is releasing on Broomfield.org or the official social media accounts.

Emergency and Wildfire FAQs

How are residents notified during an emergency?

The City and County of Broomfield maintains a dedicated Emergency Status web page at Broomfield.org/EmergencyStatus. This page is always live and displays an “inactive” status when no incident is occurring. When an incident occurs, the page is activated and updated throughout the event as information becomes available.

Alert Center Web Banner

In addition to adding information to the Emergency Status page, when an alert is issued/active an initial message will appear as an alert banner at the top of all City and County of Broomfield webpages.

Alert Center Notifications

Residents can subscribe to receive push notifications via text, email or both when an Alert Center message is published on the website.
Go to the "NotifyMe" section of Broomfield.org
Utilize the "Notify Me Sign In" button to sign in or create a profile
Scroll down to the “Alert Center” section and look for “Fire Alerts and Restrictions”
Select your preference of email (envelope icon) or text (phone icon) notifications and follow system prompts to complete sign up.

How are evacuation decisions made?

Evacuation-related decisions are made collaboratively among North Metro Fire (NMFRD), the Broomfield Police Department (BPD), and the CCOB Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

When an incident begins, real-time assessments are conducted by crews on scene, Battalion Chiefs, and the District Operations Center. These assessments consider multiple dynamic factors, including:

Fire behavior and rate of spread
Wind speed and direction
Exposure risk and terrain
Road access and evacuation feasibility
Ability to safely deploy resources

As the incident evolves, all of these factors are assessed and the decision is made when evacuation orders are warranted. Communication will then be shared through the mass emergency notification systems (LookoutAlert for Broomfield) and on the Broomfield.org/EmergencyStatus web page.

Who has the legal authority to order a mandatory evacuation?

Under Colorado statute, the authority to order a mandatory evacuation rests with the County Sheriff. In the City and County of Broomfield, that statutory authority resides with the Chief of Police. That legal framework is clear and remains unchanged.

In practice, evacuation decisions are made through unified command and close, real-time coordination. If North Metro Fire and Rescue District (NMFRD) determines that conditions on the ground warrant evacuation, the Broomfield Police Department (BPD) activates the legal authority and implements the process with direct support from NMFRD. Likewise, if BPD initiates an evacuation, NMFRD immediately supports it operationally.

Police and fire agencies operate under the standardized Incident Command System (ICS), which places time-sensitive decisions in the hands of trained professionals observing conditions as they unfold. This operational approach avoids dangerous delays during fast-moving incidents.

Are there neighborhood-specific evacuation plans for areas near open space?

CCOB does not maintain neighborhood-specific evacuation plans. Emergency conditions vary significantly with each event, and pre-designated evacuation routes or plans may be ineffective—or unsafe—depending on fire location, wind conditions, road access, congestion and other real-time hazards.

Instead, evacuation guidance is provided based on actual conditions as they unfold, including targeted notifications and door-to-door alerts when feasible. Emergency shelter locations are also determined based on incident-specific needs.

North Metro Fire and Rescue District (NMFRD) has completed extensive wildland-urban interface planning for areas such as Whistlepig and other open space corridors.

What preparedness and mitigation efforts can be taken?

Public safety is everyone’s responsibility

The best way to protect your family and your property during an emergency is to prepare and plan ahead of time. Don't wait for disaster to hit your community. You can:

Prepare Emergency Go-Bags: put together a 72-hour emergency “go-bag” supply kit.
Make a Family Plan: talk to all family members as you may not all be together when disaster strikes.
Develop an Evacuation Plan: know about the different levels of evacuation and evacuation routes and how to respond.
Evaluate Your House: call your local fire, forestry, or natural resources office, or go to www.firewise.org for home-hardening design and landscaping tips.

Visit the Wildfire Preparedness page on Broomfield.org for more information and links to this information. You can also visit the North Metro Fire Rescue District on their Plan and Prepare web page for more details.

What are the best sources of information during an emergency?

The communication cadence for first responders and the city change based on what type of incident is occurring. For something like a wildfire or conflagration incident, your best sources for the most updated and accurate information are:

LookoutAlert

LookoutAlert is the official emergency notification system of the City and County of Broomfield
It uses the Smart911 platform, which provides enhanced capabilities. You can receive free alerts through this system via text message, email, and/or voice message - BUT ONLY IF YOU SUBSCRIBE!
Visit the Emergency Notifications page to subscribe.

Emergency Status Incident web page

The Broomfield.org/EmergencyStatus web page should be your primary source of information
This page is already published and is always live with the “inactive” header
Once an incident occurs, it will be activated.
It is updated throughout an incident as additional information becomes available.

Alert Center

Alert Center Web Banner
- In addition to adding information to the Emergency Status page, when an alert is issued/active an initial message will appear as an alert banner at the top of all City and County of Broomfield webpages
Alert Center Notifications
- Residents can subscribe to receive push notifications via text, email or both when an Alert Center message is published on the website.
- Go to the "NotifyMe" section of Broomfield.org
- Utilize the "Notify Me Sign In" button to sign in or create a profile
- Scroll down to the “Alert Center” section and look for “Fire Alerts and Restrictions”
- Select your preference of email (envelope icon) or text (phone icon) notifications and follow system prompts to complete sign up.

Official City, Police and Fire social channels

Evacuations

Throughout wildfire incidents, risk to life and property is constantly being evaluated and assessed. If and when the threat level increases for a specific area, evacuation messaging is issued promptly through established notification systems and public information channels. Evacuation decisions are based on real-time factors such as wind speed and direction, proximity to structures, fire behavior, natural topography, and the presence of structural or geographic breaks such as highways or waterways. These factors can change rapidly, and evacuation areas may be expanded, reduced or lifted as conditions evolve.

It's important to subscribe and provide your preferred information to LookoutAlert, the system through which Broomfield residents receive these important emergency notification alerts of potential hazards and threats. Additionally, first responders in the field may be utilized to notify you if there is a threat to your neighborhood. If you feel unsafe, though, don't wait for a notification. Take action to keep you and your family safe.

Visit the Evacuations web page for more information on emergency action terms, evacuation process and more.

Wildfire and What it Means to You

Fire Alerts and Restrictions

Level 1 Fire Restrictions in Effect

Subscribe for Fire Alert and Restrictions Notifications Now